Pipe & Plumbing Fittings
Plumbing fittings and pipes are designed to carry various liquids and gasses. They provide a crucial conduit through which many of our daily activities are achieved, in both domestic and industrial settings. If pipework fails to provide this service or does not do so adequately the resultant damage or downtime can be costly.
In these cases, ascertaining the location and cause of the issue is critical. System analysis and materials examination are vital tools and using a suite of different analytical techniques the cause of the problem can be identified, be it from installation, manufacture or exposure to environmental perils.
Hawkins often see escapes of water related to poor installation of fittings, ranging from push fit joints, soldered joint, compression joints and press fit joints. Whilst it is more common to see installation error as the cause of a defect in a plumbing system, we do also see manufacturing issues which can be from poor quality materials, incompatible materials with a fitting and or poor machining where parts have not been made appropriately.
In all cases, a forensic view of the system and situation will enable us to find out why it is underperforming or what is causing pipes and plumbing fittings to leak.
WHY APPOINT A FORENSIC INVESTIGATOR?
We have the technical knowledge and experience to tell you why a pipe or plumbing failure occurred, not just what caused it.
- We have an in-depth knowledge of the regulations, guidance and best practices that should be followed during the manufacture, assembly and installation of pipes and plumbing.
- We review working practices and installations to identify areas at high risk of a fault.
- We offer guidance and/or help you define and develop good working procedures and practices to reduce the risk of incidents occurring.
- We provide you with the answers you need to determine why an incident occurred and so assist in repudiation/cover decisions and fraud identification.
- Our experts are knowledgeable in a wide range of areas and can investigate all aspects of pipes and plumbing failures, meaning that you will only need to instruct one expert, rather than several.
- We have laboratories and equipment designed specifically to investigate materials failures, with powerful, state-of-the-art stereomicroscopes.
- We will help you to determine if an incident could have been avoided.
- We support subrogation/recovery efforts.
- We help you to make decisions regarding where legal responsibilities/liabilities lie.
- We help you to defend wrongful claims.
- We produce reports suitable for Court and litigation.
- We provide consultancy advice to prevent similar events happening again in the future.
- If removing a risk entirely is unavoidable, we advise on steps to take to mitigate the risk and reduce the potential damage resulting from an incident.
- We advise on servicing, maintenance and repair regimes.
Examples of Typical cases
- Separated joints
- Faulty or broken fittings and parts.
- Material failures.
- Poor system design or system installation leading to equipment failure.
- Pressure problems, such as too high or too low pressure or ‘water hammer’ issues.
- Corrosion – caused by poor installation, poor servicing, or both.
- Frost damage and frozen pipes.
- Sewage or foul water drainage problems.
- Fraudulent or deliberately staged water leaks.
Our services are flexible and can be tailored to your needs, depending on the scale and urgency of the investigation. Our services range from a free consultation through to a full investigation including a court-compliant report for the support of legal action.
If you would like to discuss how we can assist you please fill out our enquiry form or call us for a free consultation.
HOW DOES HAWKINS INVESTIGATE WATER, GAS AND OTHER FLUID LOSSES?
1
Consultation
We like to speak to our clients before conducting any work so that we can understand and plan how we can add the most value to any case. We will discuss your requirements, determine what information is already available and who the best people are to contact to fully understand the background of the case. We are also happy to provide you with a cost estimate and time scale to conduct a forensic investigation.
2
Inspection
If required and with your agreement, we will arrange to visit the scene to inspect the damage. Wherever possible, we will retain faulty parts for examination in our laboratory, where we use a range of equipment, tools, and tests to determine the cause of the failure. This could include microscope examinations, recreating an installation in a controlled environment, or testing exemplar components or materials.
3
Conclusion
Once our examination is complete, we will discuss our findings with you and prepare a report containing a detailed account of our investigation, conclusions, and where appropriate, further work or advice.
Case Study
What's that banging?…
Hawkins was asked to investigate cases of water hammer in new build developments, the cause of which was a combination of flow speed and fitting type.
The fittings used had a small internal aperture and as such the speed of the water through the fittings was high. As a ceramic disc-operated valve was opened and closed rapidly, the water quickly changed directions and caused loud ‘banging’ sounds in the pipework as the water collided with blunt edged internal profiles of the fittings, and other joints/bends in the pipework.
SPEAK TO ONE OF OUR EXPERTS
Testimonial
“Thank you for your superb effort in this case.”
Rhys Phillips
“Many thanks for turning out today at such short notice and providing the benefit of your expertise and knowledge. It was evident the Client was extremely relieved that this matter was being investigated expeditiously.”
Chaz Winterton
“I just wanted to say thank you for all your help and the information you found was of real insight. Thank you again for all your help.”
Stewart Hargreaves
“I just wanted to say thank you for all of your hard work preparing the Hawkins report. Please pass on my thanks to the rest of the team. We really appreciate the hours you have all put in and I know the client is pleased with your work.”
Philippa Jones
Related areas of expertise
Metallurgy
Losses involving metallurgical failures occur in a wide range of industrial and domestic environments and can lead to high value claims or even loss of life.
Chemistry
Chemistry is an integral part of modern life, both in the commercial and domestic world.
Composites
A composite material is any multicomponent material that contains two or more distinct constituents or phases, i.e. it is made from a combination of two or more different types of constituent material. Perhaps the most familiar examples in modern engineering are glass or carbon fibre reinforced plastic (GFRP or CFRP).
Contamination & Pollution
Fires, explosions, floods, water and chemical leaks, building collapses and other calamities can give rise to issues of contamination. It is not uncommon for machinery, building structures, stock etc. to become contaminated outside of the obvious areas where items are burnt, submerged, crushed or otherwise directly damaged during the incident.
Plastics/Polymers
Polymers, or plastics as they are more commonly known, are used in all aspects of modern-day life: from pipework to paint coatings, textile fibres to automotive components and adhesives to hot water bottles. Plastics are imbedded into our way of life, and failure of these materials can lead to personal injury, escapes of water, loss of earnings, to name just a few outcomes.
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